Before the Ceremony...
The king sat in his private chamber, his golden eyes locked onto the window before him. Beyond the glass, the palace grounds stretched wide, bathed in the warm glow of the afternoon sun. Yet his gaze fixated on only one thing—Kun, seated beneath the shade of an old oak tree, staring off into the distance.
A chuckle came from the shadows.
"Who would have thought?" A man in a black cloak stood nearby, his face hidden beneath his hood. His voice carried a smirk. "That he would walk right into our hands so willingly."
The king remained silent.
The cloaked man continued, his tone dripping with amusement. "How careless can that man be? To let his own blood come crawling to us, unguarded. Open arms, no less."
Still, the king did not react. Instead, he let the silence stretch between them, thoughtful and heavy.
Then, finally, he spoke.
"If a flower blooms in a garden not its own, does it belong to the wind that carried its seed… or the soil that now holds its roots?"
The cloaked man tilted his head, intrigued.
The king's lips curved slightly.
"A river may come from the mountains, but when it reaches the sea, does it still remember the stones it once passed? Or does it call the ocean home?"
A quiet laugh.
"We mold it," the cloaked man answered smoothly. "Make it believe this place is home. Give it warmth, shelter, a place to return to. When the time comes, it will not flee—it will defend. And even when the storm clears, it will never think of another sky."
The king exhaled slowly, his gaze never leaving the boy outside.
"Then let us tend to our garden well… so when the flower looks up, it sees only the sun we have given it."
- - -
Alice was sulking.
He sat on the edge of his bed, arms crossed, legs stretched out, his face twisted in an impressive scowl. His room—normally a place of comfort—felt like a prison.
Because, well… he was technically under house arrest.
Ever since that little incident in town, his father had grounded him. The King had barely raised his voice, yet Alice had felt the full weight of disappointment crushing down on him. Sneaking out without permission? Reckless. Getting captured by the Crimson Order? Humiliating. Dragging Kun and Lizzy into it? A diplomatic mess.
And so, here he was—banned from leaving the palace, his usual freedoms stripped away like a misbehaving child.
"So unfair," he muttered. "Kun was there too, and he's not stuck here."
Then he paused.
Actually… where was Kun?
He hadn't seen him all morning. Probably off somewhere brooding, as usual. That guy was like a cat—wandering off to mysterious places, showing up at the most inconvenient times, and never explaining himself.
Alice groaned and flopped backward onto his bed.
This was boring.
Lizzy, meanwhile, was probably at some noble gathering, doing whatever it was high-society ladies did—drinking tea, gossiping, pretending to like each other. And Kun? Who knew?
Alice huffed, staring at the ceiling.
He needed entertainment.
So, naturally, he did the one thing he was absolutely not supposed to do.
He got up, stretched, and—ignoring every single warning he'd received—opened his window.
The cool breeze hit his face as he peered down. The palace walls stretched below him, but the garden wasn't too far of a drop. Definitely survivable.
Probably.
"No risk, no fun," he muttered to himself before hoisting one leg over the ledge.
And that was when his door swung open.
"Alice, what in the hell do you think you're doing?"
Alice froze mid-climb.
Slowly, very slowly, he turned his head to see a very unimpressed Lizzy standing in the doorway.
She took in the scene—the open window, Alice half-hanging out of it like an idiot—and let out a long, exhausted sigh.
"You are not about to jump out of your window again."
Alice grinned sheepishly. "Uh… no?"
Lizzy pinched the bridge of her nose. "Do you have any self-preservation instincts?"
"I do!" Alice defended himself, hoisting himself back inside. "I just… ignore them sometimes."
Lizzy crossed her arms. "You're lucky I decided to check on you before the party. Otherwise, you'd probably be in a bush somewhere with a broken leg."
Alice snorted. "Please. I'd land with grace."
Lizzy raised an eyebrow. "Like the last time you tried this?"
Alice opened his mouth. Then closed it.
Okay, fair point.
"Whatever," he muttered, plopping back down onto his bed. "I'm bored, Lizzy."
"Then read a book."
Alice made a face like she'd suggested he chew glass.
Lizzy rolled her eyes. "Or, I don't know, prepare for tonight's ceremony like a normal person?"
Alice groaned dramatically. "Ugh. Do I have to?"
Lizzy's expression turned amused. "Yes. Unless you want the King to give you another lecture about how you're the future of the kingdom and need to start acting like it."
Alice sat up and mimicked his father's deep voice. "A prince must conduct himself with dignity and honor at all times, Alice. Stop climbing things, Alice. No, you cannot challenge a foreign diplomat to a duel, Alice."
Lizzy snorted. "Well, someone has to keep you in check."
Alice smirked. "That's your job, isn't it?"
Lizzy paused. Then groaned. "Unfortunately."
Alice grinned, flopping back onto the bed. "Guess you're stuck with me."
Lizzy muttered something under her breath but didn't argue.
After a moment, she sighed and sat down in a chair across from him. "Listen. Just behave tonight, alright? Kun's going to be under enough scrutiny as it is. No need to make things worse by causing a scene."
Alice blinked.
Kun.
Right.
For all his complaining, this whole event wasn't really about him. It was about Kun—his official recognition under House Ravencourt. A big, serious deal.
Alice let out a slow breath. "Yeah, yeah. I'll behave."
Lizzy looked at him skeptically. "Really?"
Alice grinned. "I mean, define 'behave'."
Lizzy threw a pillow at him.